Tinzenite from South Africa is very rare and quite attractive with its 'burnt orange' color and extremely large crystals for the species (reaching or exceeding the largest from Val Tinzenello in Italy). The tabular crystals are clustered together, and the luster on the actual crystal faces is quite glassy. Those faces, tiny though they might be, allow you to appreciate how transclucent to gemmy parts of the crystals are when you look down onto them. Overall, this is an exceptional specimen that is also of mineralogical significance. Wessels Tinzenites may not be from the type locality, but they are the world's best in my opinion. This specimen is from the Charlie Key thumbnail collection, and is another in this update of high-level competition quality.

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